Brave knife victim Abigail Witchalls defies odds again by giving birth, five years after attack nearly killed her

Stabbed in the neck when she was pregnant, doctors gave Abigail Witchalls little chance of survival.

But not only did the young mother regain consciousness, within months she had given birth to her second son.

And now, more than four years on, Mrs Witchalls has another reason to smile after having her third child.

'Miracle: Abigail and Benoit with sons Joseph and Dominic in 2005. She has now had a baby daughter Rebecca

The wheelchair-bound 31-year-old has had a daughter, named Rebecca. The little girl was born on June 6 at the family's home in Surrey.

Yesterday friends and family of Abigail and her husband Benoit spoke of their joy as they helped the couple celebrate with their other children, sons Joseph, six, and Dominic, four.

Speaking outside their home in Little Bookham, a friend said: 'They are all really well and really happy. The baby is fit and healthy and everyone is over the moon.'

Road to recovery: Abigail has her hand worked on by occupational therapist Emma Linley at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, Middlesex

Earlier, Mr Witchalls, 32, had described his family as 'blessed', adding: 'We could not be more delighted. It's fantastic. Abigail is doing really well and is incredibly happy.'

Mrs Witchalls was stabbed in the neck with a three-inch hunting knife on April 20, 2005, when she was 26 years old and ten weeks' pregnant with Dominic.

She was pushing Joseph, then 21 months old, in his buggy through the leafy village of Little Bookham in broad daylight when her attacker struck.

Attacker: Richard Cazaly committed suicide before he could be charged with stabbing Mrs Witchalls

The blade severed her spinal cord, leaving her paralysed. Mrs Witchalls lost consciousness and was so ill doctors were afraid she would die within two days.

At one point, two medics believed her to be clinically dead. Mrs Witchalls, a devout Roman Catholic, was even read her last rites - but then astounded everyone by regaining consciousness.

For six months, she was an inpatient in the Spinal Injuries Unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, Middlesex. Most of that time, she was on a ventilator with a tracheotomy to allow her to breathe.

She moved home to her specially adapted bungalow in October 2005, giving birth to Dominic a month later.

A year ago, Mrs Witchalls had regained fluent enough speech to reveal her feelings about the attack. She described her survival as a 'miracle'.

Her attacker is thought to have been Richard Cazaly, a 23-year-old former public schoolboy who had been high on drink and drugs.

He took a fatal overdose eight days after the stabbing. Police said he would have been charged with attempted murder if he had not killed himself.